LeBron James’ eight-season tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers has officially come to an end, marking the close of one of the most remarkable chapters in NBA history.
The debate over how to immortalize him has yet to reach a clear consensus, but former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins “strongly believes” the Lakers should commemorate James’ impact by building a statue in his honor.
Kendrick Perkins Implores Lakers To Honor LeBron James With a Statue
James built his legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest players through multiple NBA Finals appearances and championships with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, but some of his biggest individual milestones came after he joined the Lakers in 2018.
With the 22-time All-Star’s tenure in Los Angeles in the rearview, a jersey retirement appears inevitable, and discussions have also intensified over whether he deserves a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
If a statue were to be built, James would join Lakers icons such as Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal, and Perkins feels James has more than earned that honor.
“I think he deserves a statue, to be honest with you, when you look at the records he broke in a Lakers uniform,” Perkins said Wednesday on “NBA Today.” “Like getting the all-time scoring record, that moment with him and Kareem, winning the NBA championship, stacking up those accolades, and what he did as an individual.
“Like we said, this is the longest he’s ever played for any franchise. He has broken records in this, along with delivering the championship. I know a lot of Laker fans out there are going to be in my comments, and they probably already are saying that I’m crazy, but I still strongly believe he deserves a statue.”
Kendrick Perkins says LeBron James deserves a statue with the Lakers:
“I think he deserves a statue to be honest with you when you look at the records he broke in a Lakers uniform” pic.twitter.com/sYxOaiySXx
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 1, 2026
James not only helped deliver the 2020 championship to the Lakers but also gave the franchise one of the most historic moments in league history by becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He revitalized a franchise that had been stuck in a lengthy rebuilding phase following Bryant’s retirement, ending years of playoff disappointment and leading Los Angeles back to the top of the league.
However, not everyone believes James’ Lakers tenure warrants a statue, as some argue that his accomplishments in Los Angeles fell short of the standards he set in Cleveland and Miami.
James reached four consecutive Finals during his four seasons with the Heat from 2011 to 2014 and returned to four more Finals during his second stint with the Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018. By comparison, he made just one Finals appearance during his eight seasons with the Lakers.
Three-time NBA champion Byron Scott pushed back on statue talk in 2025, arguing James had not done enough in Los Angeles to deserve a place alongside the franchise’s legends.
“No, no statue,” Scott said, via SI. “One championship in six, seven years, I don’t know how many years he’s been in LA right now, but I think if he gets another one, then he has a chance.”
With James now leaving the Lakers to begin the next chapter of his career, he will no longer have the opportunity to strengthen his résumé in Los Angeles with another title, but the debate is likely to continue.
